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ARLINGTON, Va. (10/27/12) – National Guard members and residents along the East Coast prepared today for Hurricane Sandy, which gained strength as it churned toward the eastern seaboard.

The storm was barreling north from the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall early Tuesday near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems while moving inland, creating the potential for a monster storm, according to the Associated Press.

At least 61,000 National Guard members are on hand, Guard officials said today.

As of 1:30 p.m. EDT today, governors in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and the mayor of Washington D.C., have declared states of emergency.

In Delaware, Gov. Jack Martell advised residents, “Be prepared to leave and be prepared to stay.” Delaware state agencies are planning for the worst, Martell said Friday.

National Guard units in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia are coordinating with authorities in the event Sandy makes landfall as predicted.

North Carolina alone has 10,000 Citizen-Soldiers standing by if needed.

"We are monitoring Hurricane Sandy closely and coordinating with our federal, state and local partners to ensure a coordinated and efficient response," said Gen. Frank J. Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau. "Units across the National Guard are making the necessary preparations to respond to the needs of any states affected by Hurricane Sandy; rest assured the National Guard is poised and ready to provide proven responders and capabilities."

According to National Weather Service officials, the Category I storm could weaken into a tropical storm before it hits land in the Northeast/New England coast, but it could drop as much as 10 inches of rain along the coast on its northerly trajectory. If it collides with arctic air moving from the north and an early winter storm moving from the west, Sandy could potentially turn into what some weather officials are calling the “perfect storm.”

In Delaware, the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron has nurses and med techs already on standby, while the Air Guard is moving all flyable equipment out of the storm’s path over the weekend. The Army Guard will be sheltering helicopters until the storm passes, at which point they can fly into action as needed, Delaware National Guard officials said.

"We are joined in a cooperative effort - to save lives, protect property, and support recovery efforts," Gen. Grass said.

The Delaware and New York Public Affairs offices and Air Force Maj. Gary Arasin contributed to this story.

Sandy Could Be a Toxic ****storm in Gowanus [Updated]

A little more than a year ago, we filed this report about what would happen if Hurricane Irene were to cause flooding in the Gowanus Canal. The canal avoided flooding by a few scant inches, but as Hurricane Sandy bears down on New York, a storm surge is looking even more likely, so we've updated our post from last year.

As Hurricane Sandy begins to arrive in the New York area on Sunday, the neighborhoods surrounding the Gowanus Canal are in for a literal shitstorm — and that may be the least of their problems.

The latest projections anticipate a storm surge of several feet in New York Harbor on Sunday. A dome of water would travel from Upper New York Bay, through Gowanus Harbor, and into the 1.5-mile-long Gowanus Canal near Smith and 9th Street. Once in the canal, it could stir up a heady mix of pollutants — essentially oil, heavy metals, and human excrement — and distribute it throughout the slowly gentrifying area that sits among some of Brownstone Brooklyn's priciest neighborhoods. In Gowanus itself, a host of new restaurants and bars have recently opened, a developer is trying to revive plans for luxury housing along the canal banks, and a new Whole Foods is set to open next year.

Update: As of 9:30 pm on Sunday night, photos posted on Twitter show the Gowanus has already begun to overflow on 2nd St., with water pushing up about 15 feet before the wind and rain and storm surge have even arrived in earnest.

Ask any Gowanus resident, or any of the artists and restauranteurs who have recently staked out space there, and they'll tell you that it's no fun for anyone with a functioning olfactory system to be near the canal when it rains. That's because the city's sewer system overflows into the canal whenever it maxes out its capacity to handle runoff, which happens all too often, resulting in a disgusting wave of human poop. The canal can be even fouler at low tide on a sunny day, when water levels drop low enough to expose the polluted sludge — mostly 100-year-old oil and coal byproducts, and PCBs from metal and paint factories — that lines its banks.

If Sandy hits with sufficient force, a flood of the human waste quaintly known as combined sewer overflow (CSO) is almost a certainty. What is less certain is how much of the heavier, more dangerous contaminants will be churned up by the storm surge and heavy winds and deposited by the flood waters. There is a worrying precedent in Hurricane Katrina, which inundated several Superfund sites such as the Agriculture Street Landfill. Like the Gowanus Canal, the landfill had accumulated decades worth of various pollutants, and after Katrina the area around the landfill showed "disturbingly high" levels of cancer-causing chemicals from soot and petroleum-based products. Those are known as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and EPA testing has confirmed high levels of them in the Gowanus Canal, the result of oil and coal refinery runoff a hundred years ago.

The 50-odd blocks that surround the canal — known lately for open-air dance parties and hipster houseboats — are in Zone A and are subject to mandatory evacuation. The two neighborhoods that border the Gowanus, Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, are both uphill from the canal. But whether those hills are steep enough to turn back a flood of toxic poop won't be known until Sandy passes through.

Prayers to those along the coastal areas, especially in New Jersey/NYC area. This event will change many lives and could exceed Katrina/9-11. Wind damage is going to occur and may be significant in the DC/Baltimore area. Trees will be coming down everywhere and maybe structural damage from wind without trees hitting homes.

I hope to communicate as much as possible until the power/internet go out.

UPDATE: Coast Guard responds to vessel in distress 160 miles from hurricane's center

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard has received word that the crew of the HMS Bounty has abandoned ship approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras N.C., Monday.

The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.

The Coast Guard continues to monitor the situation and assess the weather conditions to determine the soonest Coast Guard aircraft or surface assets can be on scene to conduct effective rescue operations.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina initially received a call from the owner of the 180-foot, three mast tall ship, HMS Bounty, saying she had lost communication with the vessel's crew late Sunday evening.

The Coast Guard 5th District command center in Portsmouth subsequently received a signal from the emergency position indicating radio beacon registered to the Bounty, confirming the distress and position.

An air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City launched aboard an HC-130 Hercules aircraft, which later arrived on scene and reestablished communications with the Bounty's crew.

The vessel was reportedly taking on water and was without propulsion. On scene weather is reported to be 40 mph winds and 18-foot seas.

Air force reconnaissance extrapolated a sea level pressure down to 946mb and that is an insanely low pressure for a system this far north. That would equal a strong Cat 3 to Cat 4 central pressure and is a record breaker this far north. The lowest pressure they have ever seen from a storm along the coast was around 960mb so any storm you can think of this one has much more energy to work with than anything else they've ever seen.

What is the lake of fire? What is it's purpose? Is the lake of fire eternal hell? Is there any hope of escape for those cast into this lake?http://bible-truths.com/lake1.html

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

NONE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* NORTH OF SURF CITY TO DUCK NORTH CAROLINA
* PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS
* BERMUDA

IN ADDITION...HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF
THE COAST BETWEEN CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA AND CHATHAM MASSACHUSETTS.
THIS INCLUDES THE TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND TO SMITH POINT...
THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY...DELAWARE BAY...AND THE COASTS
OF THE NORTHERN DELMARVA PENINSULA...NEW JERSEY...THE NEW YORK CITY
AREA...LONG ISLAND...CONNECTICUT...AND RHODE ISLAND.

TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF CHATHAM TO
MERRIMACK RIVER MASSACHUSETTS...THE LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND
SOUTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO DUCK NORTH CAROLINA...THE NORTHERN
ENDPOINT OF THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING.

OTHER COASTAL AND INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR
THESE AREAS. PLEASE SEE STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 800 AM EDT...1200 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 36.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.1 WEST. SANDY IS NOW MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/H. A TURN TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD
THE WEST-NORTHWEST TONIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF
SANDY WILL MOVE OVER THE COAST OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES THIS
EVENING OR TONIGHT.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT
THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/H...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. SANDY IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION INTO A FRONTAL OR
WINTERTIME LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PRIOR TO LANDFALL. HOWEVER...THIS
TRANSITION WILL NOT BE ACCOMPANIED BY A WEAKENING OF THE SYSTEM...
AND IN FACT...A LITTLE STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS
PROCESS. SANDY IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AFTER MOVING INLAND.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 485
MILES...780 KM. SUSTAINED TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING
ALONG THE COASTS OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY...DELAWARE...AND EASTERN
VIRGINIA...AND EXTEND AS FAR INLAND AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
CHESAPEAKE BAY.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...OR GALE FORCE WINDS...ARE ALREADY
OCCURRING OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES FROM NORTH
CAROLINA NORTHWARD TO LONG ISLAND. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER OTHER PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC
COAST...NEW YORK CITY...AND SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LATER THIS
MORNING. WINDS OF HURRICANE FORCE COULD REACH THE MID-ATLANTIC
STATES...INCLUDING NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND...LATER TODAY.
WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE
SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND LEVEL.

STORM SURGE...THE COMBINATION OF AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE
AND THE TIDE WILL CAUSE NORMALLY DRY AREAS NEAR THE COAST TO BE
FLOODED BY RISING WATERS. THE WATER COULD REACH THE FOLLOWING
DEPTHS ABOVE GROUND IF THE PEAK SURGE OCCURS AT THE TIME OF HIGH
TIDE...

NC NORTH OF SURF CITY INCLUDING PAMLICO/ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...4 TO 6 FT
SE VA AND DELMARVA INCLUDING LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...2 TO 4 FT
UPPER AND MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY...1 TO 3 FT
LONG ISLAND SOUND...RARITAN BAY...AND NEW YORK HARBOR...6 TO 11 FT
ELSEWHERE FROM OCEAN CITY MD TO THE CT/RI BORDER...4 TO 8 FT
CT/RI BORDER TO THE SOUTH SHORE OF CAPE COD INCLUDING BUZZARDS
BAY AND NARRAGANSETT BAY...3 TO 6 FT
CAPE COD TO THE MA/NH BORDER INCLUDING CAPE COD BAY...2 TO 4 FT
MA/NH BORDER TO THE U.S./CANADA BORDER...1 TO 3 FT

SURGE-RELATED FLOODING DEPENDS ON THE RELATIVE TIMING OF THE SURGE
AND THE TIDAL CYCLE...AND CAN VARY GREATLY OVER SHORT DISTANCES.
GIVEN THE LARGE WIND FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH SANDY...ELEVATED WATER
LEVELS COULD SPAN MULTIPLE TIDE CYCLES RESULTING IN REPEATED AND
EXTENDED PERIODS OF COASTAL AND BAYSIDE FLOODING. IN ADDITION...
ELEVATED WATERS COULD OCCUR FAR REMOVED FROM THE CENTER OF SANDY.
FURTHERMORE...THESE CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
SANDY IS A TROPICAL OR POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE. FOR INFORMATION
SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE SEE PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

RAINFALL...RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES
POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER
PORTIONS OF THE MID ATLANTIC STATES...INCLUDING THE DELMARVA
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE SOUTHERN TIER OF NEW YORK STATE
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH NEW ENGLAND.

SNOWFALL..SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS TODAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER...WITH 12 TO 18 INCHES
OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA/TENNESSEE BORDER
AND IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN MARYLAND.

SURF...DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH
NEW ENGLAND FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

(Reuters) - More than two-thirds of the East Coast's refining capacity was shutting down on Monday ahead of Hurricane Sandy, sources and officials said, as operators braced for potentially damaging power outages and flooding.

With Sandy gaining strength overnight as the vast storm turned westward toward New Jersey, Philadelphia Energy Solutions began the precautionary closure of key units at its 330,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Philadelphia refinery, the biggest in the region, said one source familiar with operations. The reformer unit at the Point Breeze section is already shut.

Two other plants also moved toward a full scale shut-down: Hess Corp said it was closing its 70,000-bpd refinery in Port Reading, New Jersey; and PBF Energy's 180,000-bpd Paulsboro plant in southern New Jersey, across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia area, was also shutting, a source said.

Together with the 238,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Bayway, New Jersey, refinery, which operator Phillips 66 began shutting on Sunday evening, nearly 70 percent of the region's capacity was on track to be idled. At least one other plant was running at reduced rates, a source said on Sunday.

The precautionary closures are more widespread than during Hurricane Irene in August 2011, when only Bayway - dubbed the "gasoline machine" because of its key role supplying motor fuel to the New York City area - was completely shut.

While refiners escaped any serious damage during that hurricane, many fear Sandy's massive storm surge - forecast to be as high as 11 feet - could breach plant defenses and cause damaging flooding, which can sometimes take weeks to repair. Abrupt power outages can also damage refinery equipment.

Sandy, forecast to come ashore late Monday or early Tuesday as one of the widest storms ever to hit the area, grew slightly stronger overnight, with wind speeds up to a maximum of 85 miles per hour, 10 mph faster than before. Tropical storm-force winds extended as far as 485 miles from the center.

In Philadelphia, the reformer at the Point Breeze section is already shut and other units, which were at cut rates late Sunday, are being shut down completely, the source said.

Over the weekend, PBF Energy began cutting rates by an unspecified amount the crude unit, coker and gasoline-making fluid catalytic cracking unit at its 190,000-barrels-per-day plant in Delaware City, as well as some downstream units, a source familiar with refinery operations said on Sunday.

All access to Ocean City, New Jersey, blocked; access points are under water - @OceanCityPatch

3 mins ago from oceancity.patch.com by editor

---------
All Access to Island (On and Off) Now Blocked

With access points underwater, the city bans travel to and from Ocean City.

By Douglas Bergen
Email the author
9:22 am

IMPORTANT WEATHER STATEMENT: Monday, October 29 7:30 a.m.

Ocean City, NJ:The City of Ocean City is under a mandatory evacuation order and has declared a State of Emergency.

All access routes off the island are now closed and will remain so during the next several hours.

If water is entering your home and you are comfortable doing so, turn off the main electrical power breaker. For any emergencies, dial 911.

Residents still in Ocean City are advised to remain indoors on Monday as weather conditions continue to deteriorate.

A number of roads are impassable and are likely to remain so for the duration of the storm. this includes roads that usually do not experience flooding. Do not drive through flood covered roads. The water may be much deeper than it appears.

Watch live coverage of Eyewitness News and Sandy related news events online, on our iPhone app and on our iPad app. Search WABC in the app store. Regular network programming is available on our digital channel, Channel 7-2 if you receive us over the air; various channels on cable and satellite.

Related Photos
Hurricane Sandy in pictures
View all 83 photos
If you have a portable radio, both 98.7 FM and Deportes 1050 will be providing a simulcast of Eyewitness News during our continuous coverage of Sandy.

The closures will be implemented in two phases. At 11 a.m., trucks will be prohibited from operating on limited access highways. At 1 p.m., state highways will be closed to all non-emergency vehicles.

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Story: Is school closed or delayed? Find out fast: Here's how!
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More: Track Hurricane Sandy with Hurricane Tracker Map
"Residents need to take this storm very seriously," Malloy said. "Beginning in the next several hours, wind gusts will begin to exceed 50 m.p.h., making traveling along our roads - especially wooded areas like the Merritt Parkway - very dangerous. We're doing this in two phases, so that trucks will first be prohibited and then all non-emergency vehicles. If you're in a non-evacuation area, stay home."

Connecticut Light & Power says about 7,700 customers were without power Monday, up from 158 earlier in the day. It's still less than 1 percent of the 1.2 million utility customers.

The Berlin-based utility is assuring customers and state officials that it has made significant improvements to avoid widespread outages similar to what followed the freak October snow storm that hit Connecticut last year.

A spokeswoman says linemen can work during the storm but that will end as winds pick

The United Illuminating Co., which serves shoreline towns that are expected to be hit hard by storm surges from Long Island Sound, reported only scattered outages Monday.

Meanwhile, residents of shoreline towns on Long Island Sound heeded official warnings and evacuated the storm approached.

With storm surges threatening flooding along beachfront communities and inland, towns from Stamford in the west to Groton in the east issued at least partial mandatory evacuations.

The Hartford Courant reports that Old Saybrook Police Chief Michael Spera says officials can't force residents to leave, but a mandatory evacuation order was issued Sunday. More than 10 police officers and three dozen firefighters visited homes south of Route 1 to warn of a potentially record storm surge.

Fairfield officials warned shoreline residents that high tide during Hurricane Irene in August 2011 was 5 feet. It's expected to be 11 feet during Hurricane Sandy.

President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for Connecticut Sunday as the storm approaches.

The declaration requested by Gov. Dannel Malloy would allow the state to request funding and other assistance in advance of the storm.

Sandy is expected to come ashore late Monday or early Tuesday, most likely in New Jersey, colliding with a wintry storm moving in from the west and cold air streaming down from the Arctic.

Connecticut is bracing for strong storm surges and power outages that could last for days.

Malloy says the state is likely to see the worst-case scenario from an East Coast superstorm, which he's calling the "largest threat to human life this state has experienced in anyone's lifetime."

Malloy said Sunday that strong storm surges and flooding are expected along the shoreline and power outages could last for days. The worst storm conditions are expected Monday afternoon into Tuesday, with wind gusts of up to 70 mph.

Residents in many shoreline towns have been ordered to leave their homes. Schools across the state will be closed Monday. Utility workers are on standby to restore possible power outages as soon as possible.

Malloy also ordered all nonessential state employees to stay home on Monday, and state courts are expected to be closed.

The following towns have announced evacuations before Hurricane Sandy's anticipated landfall:

Branford: Mandatory evacuations ordered for all coastal areas and areas along Branford River.

Bridgeport: Mandatory evacuations for certain areas. Also, a mandatory evacuation for the University of Bridgeport.

Darien: Mandatory evacuations of all coastal areas, including Noroton Bay, Tokeneke, Contentment Island, Five Mile River Road, Holly Pond, Delafield Island and Tokeneke in the vicinity of the Five Mile River.

East Haven: Mandatory evacuations for all areas within two blocks of shoreline.

Fairfield: Mandatory evacuations south of the Oldfield/Old Post Road.

Groton: Mandatory evacuations.

Greenwich: Mandatory evacuations for areas 1, 2, and 3 as identified on the town's Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) Map. These are generally low-lying areas such as Mill Pond in Cos Cob, areas near the coast of the Long Island Sound and Byram River.

Guilford: Mandatory evacuations for flood-prone regions.

Madison: Partial evacuations.

Milford: Mandatory evacuations for low-lying areas.

New Haven: Evacuations for flood-prone regions (Morris Cove south of Girard Street, Front Street, Haven Street in Fair Haven, between South Water Street and the highway in City Point) beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday. There is a recommended evacuation for low-lying areas of Blake Street.

West Haven: Mandatory evacuations by 8 a.m. Monday for everyone along Ocean Avenue and Captain Thomas on the beach side, everyone south of Park Street and everyone south of White Street from Peck to First Avenue.

FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND OTHER RESOURCES, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Air force reconnaissance extrapolated a sea level pressure down to 946mb and that is an insanely low pressure for a system this far north. That would equal a strong Cat 3 to Cat 4 central pressure and is a record breaker this far north. The lowest pressure they have ever seen from a storm along the coast was around 960mb so any storm you can think of this one has much more energy to work with than anything else they've ever seen.

I saw that too... Something doesn't add up. 946 mb is a strong Cat. 3 storm. A Cat. 1 storm would be in the 980 - 990 mb range... I haven't read anywhere yet why this difference is happening.... strange....

I saw that too... Something doesn't add up. 946 mb is a strong Cat. 3 storm. A Cat. 1 storm would be in the 980 - 990 mb range... I haven't read anywhere yet why this difference is happening.... strange....

Ok. I just woke up, but one of the last things I posted was that this thing is doing exactly what they had been afraid it would do and for people to go back and read some of the posts I had made several days ago about what it could do and why.

Search this thread for "Masters" and "Lindner" and it will pull up the posts from them that explain it all, there are other posts I made that explain what could happen worst case and why, but those will be easy to find. There are at least 5 of them, and you'll need to read from both of them to get the full picture of what, why, if and how.

You can also search for the 1938 storm.

Pressure now down to 943, which is what they had predicted it (in the unofficial blogs by the official forecasters). Actually, some (models and METS) predicted 940 and possibly lower.

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

THE BERMUDA WEATHER SERVICE HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FOR BERMUDA.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* NORTH OF SURF CITY TO DUCK NORTH CAROLINA
* PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS

IN ADDITION...HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF
THE COAST BETWEEN CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA AND CHATHAM MASSACHUSETTS.
THIS INCLUDES THE TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND TO SMITH POINT...
THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY...DELAWARE BAY...AND THE COASTS
OF THE NORTHERN DELMARVA PENINSULA...NEW JERSEY...THE NEW YORK CITY
AREA...LONG ISLAND...CONNECTICUT...AND RHODE ISLAND.

TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF CHATHAM TO
MERRIMACK RIVER MASSACHUSETTS...THE LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND
SOUTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO DUCK NORTH CAROLINA...THE NORTHERN
ENDPOINT OF THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING.

OTHER COASTAL AND INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR
THESE AREAS. PLEASE SEE STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 37.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.5 WEST. SANDY IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/H. A TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED SOON...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD
THE WEST-NORTHWEST TONIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK... THE CENTER OF
SANDY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG OR JUST SOUTH OF THE
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY COAST THIS EVENING OR TONIGHT.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT
THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 90 MPH...150
KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SANDY IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION INTO A
FRONTAL OR WINTERTIME LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PRIOR TO LANDFALL.
HOWEVER...THIS TRANSITION WILL NOT BE ACCOMPANIED BY A WEAKENING OF
THE SYSTEM...AND...IN FACT...A LITTLE STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE
DURING THIS PROCESS. SANDY IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AFTER MOVING
INLAND.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...
MAINLY SOUTHWEST OF THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS
EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 485 MILES...780 KM. SUSTAINED WINDS TO
TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE OCCURRING FROM LONG ISLAND SOUTHWARD ALONG
THE COASTS OF NEW JERSEY...DELAWARE...AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...AND
EXTEND AS FAR INLAND AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY AND
DELAWARE BAY. A WEATHERFLOW REPORT INDICATES A SUSTAINED WIND OF 53
MPH...85 KM/H...WITH A GUST TO 63 MPH...102 KM/H...HAS RECENTLY
OCCURRED ON LONG ISLAND AT EATONS NECK NEW YORK.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...OR GALE-FORCE WINDS...ARE ALREADY
OCCURRING OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES FROM NORTH
CAROLINA NORTHWARD TO LONG ISLAND. GALE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER OTHER PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC
COAST...NEW YORK CITY...AND SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TODAY.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS COULD REACH THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES...
INCLUDING NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND...BY THIS EVENING. WINDS
AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE
SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND LEVEL.

STORM SURGE...THE COMBINATION OF AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE
AND THE TIDE WILL CAUSE NORMALLY DRY AREAS NEAR THE COAST TO BE
FLOODED BY RISING WATERS. THE WATER COULD REACH THE FOLLOWING
DEPTHS ABOVE GROUND IF THE PEAK SURGE OCCURS AT THE TIME OF HIGH
TIDE...

NC NORTH OF SURF CITY INCLUDING PAMLICO/ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...4 TO 6 FT
SE VA AND DELMARVA INCLUDING LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...2 TO 4 FT
UPPER AND MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY...1 TO 3 FT
LONG ISLAND SOUND...RARITAN BAY...AND NEW YORK HARBOR...6 TO 11 FT
ELSEWHERE FROM OCEAN CITY MD TO THE CT/RI BORDER...4 TO 8 FT
CT/RI BORDER TO THE SOUTH SHORE OF CAPE COD INCLUDING BUZZARDS
BAY AND NARRAGANSETT BAY...3 TO 6 FT
CAPE COD TO THE MA/NH BORDER INCLUDING CAPE COD BAY...2 TO 4 FT
MA/NH BORDER TO THE U.S./CANADA BORDER...1 TO 3 FT

SURGE-RELATED FLOODING DEPENDS ON THE RELATIVE TIMING OF THE SURGE
AND THE TIDAL CYCLE...AND CAN VARY GREATLY OVER SHORT DISTANCES.
GIVEN THE LARGE WIND FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH SANDY...ELEVATED WATER
LEVELS COULD SPAN MULTIPLE TIDE CYCLES RESULTING IN REPEATED AND
EXTENDED PERIODS OF COASTAL AND BAYSIDE FLOODING. IN ADDITION...
ELEVATED WATERS COULD OCCUR FAR REMOVED FROM THE CENTER OF SANDY.
FURTHERMORE...THESE CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
SANDY IS A TROPICAL OR POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE. FOR INFORMATION
SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE SEE PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

RAINFALL...RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 8
INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID ATLANTIC STATES...INCLUDING THE DELMARVA
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE SOUTHERN TIER OF NEW YORK STATE
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH NEW ENGLAND.

SNOWFALL..SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS TODAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. SNOWFALL OF 1 TO 2 FEET IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER...WITH 12 TO 18 INCHES
OF SNOW EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA/TENNESSEE
BORDER AND IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN MARYLAND.

SURF...DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH
NEW ENGLAND FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

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